Fleet Maintenance - 39

AUTOMOTIVE INTELLIGENCE

A good "all makes and models" diagnostic
aftermarket solution can help a fleet
reduce both cost and complexity.
»Autel's MS906CV is an effective entrylevel tool for technicians primarily
looking for read-only functionality, along
with the ability to perform common
tasks like DPF forced regenerations.
Photo courtesy of Autel.

ENHANCED
SOFTWARE

NEW BI-DIRECTIONAL
CONTROLS

MORE THAN 1,000 NEW DIAGNOSTIC UPDATES
OVER 20 MAKES / 80+ MODELS

wonderful. The challenge is how a technician is
expected to consume that data. You can give a
technician a 55-gallon drum full of data. But if
we expect the technician to consume that data
with a spoon, how efficient are we really being?"
Noregon's Bolt says fleets should inquire about
an aftermarket solution's graphing and reporting
capabilities. Are the reports configurable? Can
the user easily print a full total vehicle health
report? Can the user define data groups to chart
and help diagnose communication issues?
These are all features a fleet could find useful to
improve shop efficiency.

Match features and cost
to needs and budget

When comparing aftermarket solutions, fleets
must first identify their needs and objectives.
Some fleets may simply want the ability to
connect to a truck to see what's wrong. Tyler
Robertson, CEO of Diesel Laptops, says these fleets
will benefit from a good entry-level diagnostic tool
that simply reads fault codes. Diesel Laptops is a
provider of both OE and aftermarket diagnostic
hardware, software, training, and support.
For fleets that want to communicate with their
vehicles, mid- and upper-level tools with bidirectional functionality are better options.
With respect to mid-level diagnostic
tools, Robertson says sticker price could be
in the $3,000 to $5,500 range. These tools
will perform 75 to 80 percent of dealerlevel commands.
"The most popular mid-level solutions do the
12 or 15 most common things a fleet needs to
do," Robertson points out. "We're talking about
things like injector cutouts, forced regens, and

adjusting ma ximum road speed
and cruise speed."
On the upper end,
Robertson says an
aftermarket solution should do at
least 95 percent of
what the OE tool can
do - and do it on all
makes and models.
"We're talking 100
or more commands," Robertson says. These tools
might cost upwards of $10,000.
Autel's MS908CV is one tool at the upper end
of the functionality spectrum.
"The technician can change system parameters
and perform multiplexing functionality on the
programming," Freeman says.
Autel also offers its MS906CV, which Freeman
refers to as a "triage tool." It falls somewhere
between entry-level and mid-level functionality.
Freeman says it is a great option for fleets with
mobile maintenance operations.
"A technician won't be able to perform injector cutouts, but that's not what a mobile technician is looking to do anyway," Freeman relates.
"Mobile technicians will be able to do things
like DPF [diesel particulate filter] forced regens.
A technician will also be able to assess what is
wrong with the vehicle to determine if it needs
to be towed back to the shop, or if it can be fixed
in the field."

ALL MAKES / ALL MODELS
CLASS 1 (0-6,000LBS) - CLASS 9 (33,000LBS)

Solid training and support

The diagnostic tool and software represent just
one piece of the puzzle.
"The fleet also needs training - not only on
how to use the diagnostic tool, but also basic technician skills like electrical and aftertreatment,"
Diesel Laptops' Robertson says. "You also need
somebody you can call for help."
Training accessibility is another thing to look
for in a software vendor.
The bottom line is that fleets have different
needs requiring different diagnostic solutions.
When they do their homework and purchase
the right aftermarket solution, they can satisfy
those needs at a lower cost and with far less
complexity.

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Fleet Maintenance

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fleet Maintenance